FINAL UPGRADE EXAMPLE
THE WHO - TOMMY
FIRST UK PRESS WITH LAMINATED SLEEVE AND NUMBERED BOOKLET
INCREDIBLE MINT MINUS AUDIO
SUPERB NEAR MINT SLEEVE WITH NUMBERED BOOKLET
THE RECORDS
THE LABELS
ALL 4 LABELS ARE IN MINT CONDITION. THE JET BLACK BASE COLOUR HAS REMAINED UNRUBBED, AND THERE ARE NO MARKS OR STAINS ANYWHERE.
THIS COLOUR FULLY STRETCHES INTO THE UNWORN SPINDLE HOLE.
THE SILVER TYPEFACE IS ALSO IN TOP CONDITION AND EVERY LETTER IS PERFECTLY LEGIBLE.
THE TRACK LOGO WHICH CAN RUB AND WEAR BADLY IS IN PRISTINE CONDITION ON ALL 4 SIDES.
A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE SPINDLE HOLES REVEALS 1-2 SMALL SPIDER LINES CLOSE BY INDICATING THE VERY MINIMAL AMOUNT OF PLAY THAT THIS 1969 SET HAS RECEIVED
A WORD ABOUT THE DISCS. ORIGINAL FIRST ISSUE LABELS CAN EASILY BE INDENTIFIED BY THE FACT THAT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF EACH LABEL THE CATALOGUE NUMBER HAS DOUBLE ALBUM UNDERNEATH IT AND IN BRACKETS RECORD 2 ETC., AND NOTHING UNDERNEATH THE ST 33 MARKING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LABEL.
WHEREAS LATER PRESSES HAD IN BRACKETS SET NUMBER 2657-002 ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE UNDER ST 33
THE VINYL
SUPERB ORIGINAL HEVAY DISCS.
BOTH DISCS HAVE RETAINED THEIR ORIGINAL LUSTRE .
THEY LOOK AS GOOD TODAY AS THEY DID BACK IN 1969.
NO HANDLING LINES OR ANY SUPERFICIAL MARKS WHATSOEVER, AND EVEN UNDER SPOTLIGHTS THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SEE
THE TEST PLAY
WHAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM THIS FIRST PRESS SET IS A CRYSTAL CLEAR STEREO REPRODUCTION THAT IS BOTH CRISP AND CLEAN SOUNDING.
THERE IS NO FRYING BACON, OR CRACKLING GOING ON BEHIND THE MUSIC, AND NOTHING OTHER THAN SILENCE IN THE LINKING GROOVES.
A SET THAT HAS BEEN PLAYED NO MORE THAN 1-2 TIMES SINCE 1969
CLEAN NOISE FREE STEREO PERFORMANCE WITHOUT ANY MORE THAN THE ODD RANDOM SPECK OF BARELY AUDIBLE STATIC IN A FEW LINKING GROOVES OR SILENT PASSAGES
NO EMBEDDED VINYL NOISE ANYWHERE
NO GROOVE WEAR AND NO DISTORTION
A STAGGERING AUDIO PERFORMANCE
A TRUE MINT MINUS AUDIO OVER ALL FOUR SIDES
BUT TAKE A LISTEN TO THE AUDIO AND HEAR IT FOR YOURSELF
THE SLEEVE
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MOST COPIES FOR SALE, YOU WILL NOTICE IMMEDIATELY THAT THE SLEEVE LETS THE RECORDS DOWN, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE VINYL IS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS,
SO LETS TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THIS IS SUCH A HARD SLEEVE TO FIND IN A COLLECTIBLE CONDITION.
THE FIRST THING IS THAT THE SLEEVE IS FULLY LAMINATED AND AS IT IS A TRI GATEFOLD IT MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL SURFACE AREAS ARE VERY THIN AND FLIMSY WHICH OFTEN RESULTS IN SERIOUS CREASES, FOLDS AND BENDS TO THE LAMINATE.
BUT BY FAR THE BIGGEST ISSUE WITH THIS SLEEVE HISTORICALLY IS THE SPINE AND THE AREA WHERE THE LP S SIT INSIDE THE COVER.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND ON MOST EXAMPLES IS A TORN OPENING EDGE,.
THIS IS ENTIRELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT BOTH ALBUMS IST INSIDE THE SAME POCKET WHICH HAS THE OPENING EDGE ON THE INSIDE OF THE GATEFOLD BY THE SPINE, MEANING THET THE LP S HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY SLID INTO THE POCKET VIA THE INSIDE OF THE SLEEVE AND NOT THE OUTSIDE.
THE SLIGHTEST WRONG BIT OF PRESSURE TRYING TO GET THEN IN OR OUT ALWAYS RESULTED IN A TORN OPENING EDGE.
THE MOST VISIBLE DAMAGE ON MOST COPIES THOUGH IS THE ACTUAL SPINE, WHICH IS OFTEN FOUND BADLY TORN.
THIS IS COMPLETELY DUE TO HOW THE LP S SIT INSIDE THE POCKET, BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT FIRMLY PUSHED ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK OF THE POCKET I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED HOW HARD THAT IS TO DO THEN THE VINYLS STICK OUT A LITTLE NEAR THE SPINE AND WHEN THE SLEEVE IS CLOSED THE VINYL ACTS LIKE A DULL BLADE AND OVER A PERIOD OF TIME WEARS THROUGH THE SPINE.
ANYWAY THATS WHAT MOST COPIES WILL HAVE SUFFERED. THIS COPY IS IN NEAR PERFECT CONDITION
THE FRONT SURFACE IS TOTALLY FLAT AND GLEAMS LIKE A POLISHED MIRROR. THE ONLY SMALL CREASE LINES ARE ON THE SPINE
THERE ARE EIGHT LAMINATE PRESSURE LINE BY THE SPINE FIVE OF WHICH ARE CLUSTERED NEAR THE TOP
THERE ARE NO THUMB LINES ANYWHERE ON THE LAMINATE AND IT LOOKS HIGHLY POLISHED
NO PRESSURE LINES ON THE TOP OR BOTTOM EDGES AND NONE ON THE RIGHT EDGE
THE SPINE IS FLAT AND HAS ALL OF THE LAMINATE INTACT APART FROM A SMALL SPECK OF FLAKE ON THE REAR LEADING EDGE AT THE BOTTOM
THERE IS ALSO A SMALL SCUFF TO THE TOP LEADING EDGE IN THE MIDDLE
A TINY BIT OF RUB TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM TIPS
THERE ARE NO CREASE LINES ON THE MAIN SURFACE OF THE FRONT
THE REAR SURFACE IS IN SUPERB CONDITION. NO CREASE LINES. NO RING WEAR OR RECORD SHAPE. A SMALL SPECK OF RUB TO THE BOTTOM CORNERS
THE THIRD LAMINATED SURFACE IS ONCE AGAIN GLEAMING AND ONLY HAS A LITTLE LINE ACROSS THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER TIP
I HAVE ALSO TAKEN A PICTURE OF THE TRIFOLD INNER SURFACES .THEY ARE IN SUPERB CLEAN CONDITION. THE FAR RIGHT SECTION IS THE POCKET THAT HOUSES THE VINYL, AND THIS AS MENTIONED ABOVE IS FREE FROM ANY SPLITS
THE NUMBERED BOOKLET THAT COMES INSIDE THE SLEEVE IS IN FLAT CONDITION AND CONTAINS THE UNIQUE NUMBER NUMBER 71019
SOME STAINING TO THE FRONT AT THE TOP
I HAVE NO HESITATION IN GRADING THIS SLEEVE NEAR MINT
